Bu Pc 9292. Making an oversize robe
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sugatacīvara
A monk who makes a robe that is too large must cut it down and confess the offense.
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
Sugatacīvara — On Making an Oversize Robe
Background
The principles governing the robes of bhikkhus in Theravāda Buddhism are laid down with great specificity and detail, serving to cultivate mental discipline and to maintain order within the monastic community. The robe (cīvara) is not merely an everyday garment for covering the body; it is also a symbol of humility, purity, and adherence to the Vinaya. The Sugatacīvara is recorded in the Vinaya Piṭaka in order to guide bhikkhus in making robes that conform to the regulations of the Saṅgha.
According to the Theravāda tradition, the dimensions and method of making robes were clearly established by the Buddha. These regulations are not arbitrary; they carry profound significance for practice: guarding against complacency, resisting the tendency toward materialism, and protecting the pure image of the Saṅgha in the eyes of the wider public.
Main Content
The Sugatacīvara rule stipulates that a bhikkhu must not make a robe exceeding the permitted standard dimensions. Specifically, the robe must conform to certain prescribed lengths and widths. Should a bhikkhu — whether inadvertently or intentionally — make a robe larger than the stipulated measure, this is regarded as a breach of discipline, and he must proceed to rectify it immediately.
The act of rectification is not to be carried out privately or in silence. The bhikkhu must cut down the oversize robe to bring it into conformity with the proper dimensions. Once the cutting has been completed, he must appear before the assembled Saṅgha and confess the transgression.
The confession is not merely a formality of spoken words. It is a public acknowledgment of the process of correction, expressing the wish to return to what is right and to comply with the common discipline. Through this act, the bhikkhu's purity of virtue (sīla) is restored, and the Saṅgha bears witness that he has removed the offense.
Practical Significance
The Sugatacīvara contains many valuable lessons regarding inner discipline.
🌏 The Buddhist canon is vast — some sūtras (such as comparative Vinaya across schools, or untranslated Tibetan-canon texts) have to this day NEVER been translated into Vietnamese or English by anyone, scholars included. Rather than leave it blank, Inti AI offers a FAITHFUL summary grounded in the tradition — from the sūtra's title, origin and essence — so you can still reach this rare part of the treasury. Whenever an original translation exists, the app shows the original first.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.